10 Best Apps to Make the Most of Spring

Whether you are looking to explore the great outdoors, get fit, or tidy up your home and garden, the GALAXY Note II is all you need.

That’s right. Spring has sprung, which means that it’s time to draw open the curtains, get outdoors and feel the sun on your face. Spring is also the traditional season to clean and organise the house, get the garden back in order and work off that winter flab, so whether you need to get your mind, body, garden or house in order this spring, your Note II, in conjunction with these apps, has got it covered.

The first thing to do is to get a good fix on the weather, as this is often the main factor that decides how you’ll be spending those spring days. April showers may bring May flowers, but it’s never good to be caught in them!

One of the most recommended Android weather apps is Accuweather, and for good reason. It offers accurate weather forecasts, which are updated every hour for 2.7 million locations worldwide. With 15-day forecasts, the app lets you personalise them to your location. You can also add the Accuweather widget to the Note II's home screen so that weather information is only a glance away.

If you strike it lucky with the weather and like to go rambling, Maverick Pro, an off-road mapping and GPS tool could well be for you. The app let's you use the Note II's expansive screen to mark out paths, record tracks, and display a compass, along with the speed you are travelling, your altitude and position.

You can save maps to the Note II with the app too, so you can still consult it when you lose your 3G or 4G signal. And if you are capturing the great outdoors with the Note II's camera you can also use Maverick Pro to geo-tag the photos.

If you are just starting out on the walking scene a free versions of GPS hiking trackers with less functionality are also available such as MapMyHike and OS Atlas Free.

If cycling is more your thing then the company behind MapMyHike also provide a free GPS cycling tracker.

With an extensively customisable route search it not only recommends places to go by factors such as distance and elevation, but it will also track your time, distance, speed, pace and calories burnt up in real-time when you get there.

Fancy taking hiking or camping to the extreme? How about being able to carry the complete SAS survival skills manual around with you in your pocket?

16 videos demonstrate survival tips, and you can consult a comprehensive first aid section, directories of poisonous, medicinal and edible plants and survival checklists to ensure you are prepared for any survival situation.

Don't want to pay? There is a free version of a US Military survival guide here: Survival Guide.

If your idea of camping is a little less extreme then the AA Caravan and Camping App may be more up your street.

With price information, descriptions, phone numbers and websites of over 850 recommended campsites throughout the UK, this is your one-stop shop to find the caravanning or camping experience you are looking for, without any nasty surprises.

Not only does the AA provide you with a list of camp and caravan sites, but the very nice men can also help you work out what to do when you get there.

With information, pricing details, opening times and contact details of over 1800 UK attractions (which can also be displayed on Google maps), you can just tap in your location to your Note II and let your phone show you the closest theme parks, zoos, museums, galleries, stately homes, castles and gardens.

Britain's finest, as the name suggests, is your one look-up point for the best UK hotels, bed and breakfasts, attractions and activities.

The app lets you search its 4,500 entries by location or category letting you cut straight to what you want to do or discover. With 10,000 pictures to browse on the Note II’s large screen, it’s great for finding a stunning destination fast.

This free app from the National Trust let’s you search the coastline area, countryside, gardens and historic houses that the charity maintains in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. With opening times, what facilities are there and admissions costs, it’s easy to plan your day out.

If you feel like staying a little closer to home, say, getting your garden in order, it may be worth investing in an app like Gardenate.

It has local planting information for the UK arranged in calendar form for over 90 of the most popular garden vegetables, herbs, and soft fruits, including useful facts about each plant listed. You can also track what you have planted in the 'My Garden' section and Gardenate will predict the best time to harvest any crops you are growing. You can also record which plants or varieties work best in the notes section.

If you don't want to pay we also recommend GardenGnome which is a simple app that let's you design the layout of your garden, and features a plant encyclopaedia and planting journal.

And lastly, if your garden isn't the problem, but it's your home that needs the attention with a little spring cleaning, the Good Housekeeping's free app is a good place to start.

Featuring an A-Z stain buster, a surface by surface cleaning guide, home decoration guides and advice and tips on home organisation, this has everything you need to get your house ship shape and Bristol fashion for the warmer seasons.